# How to remove grease from leather?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-remove-grease-from-leather/664273
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 23, 2013, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-remove-grease-from-leather/664273 "2013-07-23T01:57:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![john44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@john44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john44)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-remove-grease-from-leather/664273/1 "2013-07-23T01:57:52Z")

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I took my car into the mechanic yesterday and when I got it back the leather steering wheel was all sticky and greasy feeling, how do I remove it without damaging the leather?

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### Author: ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2013, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-remove-grease-from-leather/664273/2 "2013-07-23T02:38:28Z")

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Take it back to the mechanic. It’s his problem.

Well, it’s yours too, but get it on record that he greased your wheel. He may have to get you a new one, and it will be easier if you start the process tomorrow instead of later.

That said, [Castrol Super Clean](http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1451528) is a good de-greaser.

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### Author: ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2013, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-remove-grease-from-leather/664273/3 "2013-07-24T11:23:35Z")

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dishwashing liquid (for hand washing) is not a bleach, not caustic,  
and is quite strong at dissolving greases and oils, and washing away without leaving residue.

You might then put a leather treatment on to moisturise the leather. Otherwise it might feel hard, rough , sharp, and even shrink ,crack…

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### Author: ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2013, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-remove-grease-from-leather/664273/4 "2013-07-24T11:42:42Z")

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The best thing is wet wipes, the kind you wipe a baby’s bum with. No truck driver would go anywhere without some in his bag.

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### Author: ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-remove-grease-from-leather/664273/5 "2013-07-24T14:22:44Z")

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use saddle soap to clean the leather.

apply some dubbin to put grease back in the leather.

maybe they did that for you.